


Best Served Cold

by Xhimera



Category: Original Work
Genre: Adventure, Aliens, Character Development, F/M, Gentle femdom, Humans are Endangered, Humans are space orcs, Like Really Slow but Ill Get There, More Tags When I Get There, Other, Realistic Space Pirates, Sex, Slavery, Space Pirates, nobody is a good guy, slowburn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-12
Updated: 2019-12-12
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:21:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21785125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Xhimera/pseuds/Xhimera
Summary: Vzzeras is a pirate, albeit barely. Having a ship is the only thing keeping her from being labeled as a common thief. She wouldn't trade it for the universe though. When she acquires a mute human slave named Echo, she finds that sometimes you cant control everything.P.S. Summaries are hard.
Relationships: Original Female Character/Original Male Character
Comments: 5
Kudos: 40
Collections: Humans Are Space Orcs





	1. A Pirate's Life

**Author's Note:**

> So this will be a slow burn romance with some nice touches of action. Hopefully you'll get to enjoy it as much as I'm enjoying (dreading) making it!

Laws were the worst idea anybody had ever come up with.

Vzzeras sat lazily underneath the canopy blind she'd set up in the middle of the wastes, no signs of civilization for miles, the only blot on the landscape of nothingness was an old water station, the only one for hours in any direction. This made it a prime location for robberies when transports and freighters would come through.

Once when Vzzeras was younger. She'd had a much different idea of piracy. She had dreamed of great battles in space, with large crews and giant piles of treasure. The reality was much more mundane.

Space battles were messy and risky, too many chances of either being blown up, or blowing the prize up. You needed a special crew and top of the line equipment to do a space hijacking. 

Both of which Vzzeras lacked.

So here she sat, in a hot blind, waiting hours for a prize to fall into her trap. A long time to contemplate existence.

Laws had to be the most awful concept ever. All they were made for was control. Control the masses, control the poor, and control her. They weren't even real, if a law was passed saying she can't shoot someone, it didn't actually stop her from doing so. 

Vzzeras was so deep in conversation she almost didnt notice the large vehicle humming towards the station. What a coincidence. She was about to break a lot of laws.

With the single press of the switch in her hand, the area surrounding the large transport erupted into a cloud of dust and smoke. Itd taken the larger part of the night to set up those bombs it was time to see if it was worth the effort.

As fast as she could Vzzeras raced from her blind and across the sun naked sands. She could hear shouting and cursing as the crew mustve realized they were in a trap. Swiftly she reached the cargo hold and began cutting a small hole into it. Within seconds she was able to squeeze inside and activated her light.

Junk. Everything inside was junk. Pieces of scrapped electronics and busted hardware. Absolutely useless, and probably just as worthless!

A sharp click in the shadows made her jump, the accompanying whirr of an energy clip signalled her worst fear. She shined a light into the shadowy corner, revealing an armed guard with a Voltos pistol aimed at her.

"Arms up and turn around" the black armored figure demanded in a deep guttural voice. Whatever his race was, it sounded like he meant business.

Vzzeras slowly turned around, her hands raised in supplication. Timing was everything, and she couldn't afford for the guard to get trigger happy.

Footsteps behind her sent subtle vibrations through the floor. Just a little further

"Strip." The guard demanded

"What?" Vzzeras asked, but a shot from the pistol blazed beside her head, temporarily illuminating the compartment. Shit that was going to draw attention.

"I said strip!"

Vzzeras was practically boiling in rage, but nonetheless she began shimmying her suncloak from her shoulders, and letting it slink to the floor. Even that level of exposure on her scales was enough to have her seeing red.

"More!" The guard demanded greedily, and she confirmed her suspicions, he wanted her body.

Clumsily, she slid her shorts down, but struggled getting them past her knees. She could hear the audible breaths as her captor became impatient. Then footsteps as he apparently couldn't wait for her to finish.

_Now!_

With lightning fast movement she whipped her tail and felt it connect with a sharp crack. The thud of a heavy body falling was the most satisfying sound she'd heard all day. She quickly pulled her shorts back on and turned her light onto the downed guard.

Another better look confirmed he was just as grotesque as she'd pictured in her mind. Big flabby body, reeking of foul sweat and waste. Vzzeras quickly drew her dagger and jammed it into the guards neck under his helmet, and again into his chest between the plates.

Finally done, she scrambled to grab his pistol and a few notably expensive looking parts before donning her suncloak again. By now the dust will have settled so she'd have to be quick.

Summoning all of her strength, she leapt through the opening she'd made, and began dashing through the sands with all the speed she could manage. Immediately she was followed by shouts and the sounds of guns prepping.

Clouds of sand and dust bloomed beside and in front of her as she dodged the numerous blasts shot her way. Already she could feel her energy depleting, but she was so close!

A shot grazed her shoulder and the pain threw her off balance. She tumbled through the sand at the edge of her blind, the sounds of angry voices getting louder. She shamelessly crawled the last few feet down into her blind. Then promptly activated the remote on her wristband.

The metal door at the other end of her blind opened with a sharp hiss, and she ambled inside, closing the door while she gasped for breath and tried to slow her heartrate. The shuddering of her ship beginning to lift from the sand was reassuring, and she couldn't help the smug grin that crossed her face.

"The glorious life of the dread pirate Vzzeras. Scourge of junk transports." She hummed quite sardonically. The ship was humming along with her, and that was the most pleasant sound she could've heard at that moment.

"Now Captain Vzzeras, shall we count the booty?" She barked out a laugh before lifting the sack of plundered goods and made her way to the helm of the ship. It was a spacious room, set for three crewmembers including a captain. There she laid out the few scraps and the pistol she laid out.

It was still junk, but higher than average quality junk. Surely Rezzep would find some value in it, he always did.

Finally assured all was well, she made her way out into the captain's quarters. Almost as spacious as the helm of her ship, it was the only luxury she'd been adamant on indulging. A captain had to have quarters that inspired awe and respect. Large lush bedding, clean floors and walls, armoire, a reflection pad, and most importantly, a private cleansing room.

Quickly stripping her filthy clothes, she set them to the side of the room inside of a bin. She'd have them deconned once she reached the port. 

The warm water that washed away the slurry of filth from Vzzera's body was celestial. Her muscles relaxed as her mind was free to wander. Today had been close, too close. If that lustful guard hadn't been distracted by the prospect of... whatever he'd wanted, she may not have escaped so easily.

Just thinking about his disgusting attempts to dominate and touch her filled her body with shivers of disgust. Vzzeras used an extra amount of cleansing powder for good measure, and then washed it away with the foul memory.

Emerging back into her quarters, she stepped onto the reflection pad, and a three dimensional reflection appeared in front of her. Vzzeras was not terribly vain in her opinion, but she did pride herself on having some image.

Tiny green scales covered her entire body, fading to a light tan shade around the front of her torso, starting at her neck, and dipping between her legs. Shed slapped a medipad over the graze from earlier, yet she could see some purple had leaked through during her movement. It would join the various subtle scar that dotted her body, all minor cuts and burns.

Vzzeras turned around to examine her back. Light violet stripes followed from the base of her neck to the tip of her tail, which looked quite swollen. Hopefully she hadn't broken it on the guards armor. Finally she turned back and zoomed on her face. Golden eyes with slit pupils looked back at her before she exited the rest of her face. 

Green scaled skin with a slightly elongated snout fit with a rounded head topped by twin horns. Truly among her people she'd been prized as a beautiful mate, who'd bear many clutches. A truly pathetic existence that she was glad to have avoided.

Stepping off of the pad, Vzzeras opened her armoire and grabbed a set of her usual garb. Black heavy cloth shorts. Lightly armored top that covered her vital organs (its only function since she had no mammaries to cover like mammals.) and a suncloak to keep herself from burning. Coupled with her harnesses of knives, pistols, and ammo belts made her look quite intimidating if she did say so herself.

Now, it was time to reap the rewards for a days pirating.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So theres the first chapter! Hastily written and probably over expositioned, but there nonetheless. 
> 
> For those of you curious, Vzzeras race is very similar to Argonians from The Elder Scrolls series, though her race has more human shaped eyes, longer prehensile tail, and more snake like scales.


	2. Here's The Deal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which we see the unsavory side of a pirate's life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second chapter and I'm trying to be organic as possible. If y'all like the chapter or see how I could improve feel free to comment!

"1,200 and that's final!" 

Vzzeras held her anger in check. As much as Rezzep was her best buyer, the slug has a way of insulting her with his ridiculous offers.

"1,200 doesn't even cover half of my expenses. The pistol's gotta be worth at least 2,000." She countered, knowing the slug's response. She could've copied him verbatim.

Rezzep shook his head. "If the pistol was pristine maybe, but itd cost me too much to repair it for that price." She knew he was enjoying this.

"What about the rest then? Theres gotta be some value in those!" Vzzeras countered, waving her hands over the counter.

"Oh yes! A broken Exo-actuator, a fried mavigation module, and a cracked Micro verse battery!" Rezzep said, picking each piece up, a feat considering his small size and soft body. "Truly you've brought me the hidden gems of the universe!"

Vzzeras hid a snarl. Rezzep was in a fine mood today. Usually the small slug like creature would simply mock her once or twice before dropping the pretense, today he seemed to be itching for a fight.

Sighing, she gave up and lifted a large canister on the counter. With a sharp turn of the handle it unsealed, and she lifted the lid to reveal a single pristine white egg within, bigger than two of her fists pressed together. 

"Two days old, unfertilized, no cracks, blemishes, or deformities. I want 5,000." Vzzeras stated. She hated doing this, selling her own eggs to get by, it was the lowest of the low, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

Rezzep grabbed the egg and lifted it in one slimy hand, turning it over, pretending to examine it. She wasn't fooled, he'd already agreed the moment he touched the thing.

"6,200 then for all of it?" The slugs hummed to himself, the slimy merchant knew it was a bargain, and she knew he knew it was a bargain. Everything was just formality at this point. "Alright woman. It's a deal!"

They shook hands, and the goods were replaced with several bits. More than enough to keep her in comfort until next month.

"Before you go, I have a business proposal that cod make us both very wealthy." Rezzep continued, stopping her in her tracks as she turned to leave. "Come into my office and I'll explain."

Vzzeras was suspicious, but the prospect of more money was appealing. She was a pirate after all, and a pirate's great love was treasure.

She followed Rezzep into his office, watching the slug hover in his chair behind a desk. Not even two steps inside, and the door was shut behind her. Instinct took over and she whipped her tail at the presence that had caught the door.

Except her tail never made full contact. It had been grabbed, and held in an almost painful grip. Drawing her pistol, she spun to aim it at her assailant, only for her wrist to be wrapped in that same iron grip. 

At least she had a look at her attacker now, they were tall, taller than her by over a head, and her species was one of the taller ones in the known galaxy. Their face was hidden under a sunblock cowl, and a suncloak covered most of their frame. The hands gripping her arm and tail were large, and the skin was the shade of dark sand, but not quite brown. It was also covered in scars, and rough on her scales.

"Echo that's enough, she's a guest, release her." Rezzep demanded crisply. The large figure released Vzzeras tail and wrist, which she immediately brought back to her side, though she kept the pistol out.

"I see you have a new bodyguard Rezz." She said with no small amount of snark. "Too bad this one seems to have a problem with announcing himself."

Rezzep chuckled at her response. "My dear Vzzeras, Echo is a mute, the door closing _was_ him announcing himself. If anything, you're the rude one here." 

Vzzeras felt the warm wave of embarrassment course through her, both at the jab, and that the fact that this figure had gotten the better of her. That was twice today she'd been temporarily at someone's mercy. She most certainly didn't like it.

"What's this business proposition then?" She snapped at Rezzep, still not taking her eyes of the tall figure as they walked around the office, coming to a halt besides Rezzep's desk.

"Now now my dear, no need to get irritated." The slug started, resting his hands on his belly. "I have it on good authority that there's a shipment of Vurulio Ore being shipped across the Nameny Dunes tomorrow. If someone could, oh I dont know, hijack it. Well let's just say their share would be more than enough to go a few months without worrying about money."

Months without worrying? No scraping or waiting in a baking blind for junk transport roulette? "That sounds all nice and well Rezz, but a transport like that will be armored, and defended. I'll be a mess on the floor before I reach the helm."

Rezzep chuckled in response, and Vzzeras was just about done with his attitude. So far all he'd done is give her useless news about an impossible hit. Then laughed at the prospect of her death!

"What if I provided the means for you to do it? Would you be willing to take the job?" He asked. Vzzeras couldn't help but imagine it. The thought of all that money, and the reputation boost! Still..

"What means are we talking about? A weapon? A crew? I need details." 

"Oh no weapon, no crew, just Echo here should be all you'll need." Rezzep replied, his tone far too smug for her liking.

Vzzeras scoffed, this really was a joke. She turned to leave.

"Echo, uncover yourself!" Rezzep barked, and Vzzeras watched from the corner of her eye as the figure finally removed his suncloak and sunblock cowl.

His face was sapien, with a grizzled look that was accentuated by the scars that dotted his features. Bronze skin was pierced by two brown orbs, topped by thick brows. A crown of black, slightly curly hair framed his face. His body was just as bronze, a muscular build, but not brutish. Vzzeras knew right away what he was, though she'd never actually seen one in real life.

"Rezzep, where did you manage to get a human?" She asked in a level tone.

The slug laughed, apparently finding amusement in her reaction. "I knew you'd like him! I got him in an auction. Very cheap too, they thought he was mentally deficient because of the muteness."

Echo apparently didn't care for being called deficient, as his eyes took on a sharp narrowness. Vzzeras was no pushover, but even she was unsettled by that intense look.

She could remember the stories of humans. How they fled a doomed planet, how their ark ships had been caught undefended, how it took nearly a planetary sized army of pirates to capture them. They said one human could match at least three opponents without a weapon, and even more while armed! 

Looking into Echo's eyes, she could see it. Those eyes carried so much inside their depths. A fierce aura that seemed to project like beams. 

"One human isnt enough to turn the tides against a convoy." Vzzeras finally found the words to speak. Those eyes had unsettled her, and she was even the target of his ire. "Humans are tough, but they're mostly slave laborers. What's he gonna do? Plow the transport?"

"In a manner of speaking. Echo is an ex-army slave. His whole life is about combat and beating impossible odds." She could hear the almost frustrated desperation in Rezzep's voice. "Look I just need someone to get him on the transport, once there he'll take care of everything! Now are you in or out?"

There it was, the decision. Would she allow herself on this madman's mission with a mythical warrior of an enslaved race? Or would she continue each day, barely scraping by, hoping she'd find treasure in the wastes and selling her eggs for chump change?

Vzzeras already knew the answer to that.

"I'm in."


	3. Fight Like Hell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long! I was having a bit of writers block and decided to work on another project until the proper inspiration hit me for this one. I hope you enjoy!

Vzzeras couldn't sleep. She'd been trying for the last few hours to no avail. She was tired, she was sore, it should've been easy. Yet as she lay there, something in the back of her mind wouldn't let her relax.

It was that damned human. Tomorrow she would risk her life achieving what she'd always dreamed of. A big haul with a long payoff, but it all hinged upon a single human with an inability to hold conversations. It was not under her control.

Vzzeras was not one to deny some aspects of herself. She knew there were possibly many faults she had that went unrecognized, but one in particular was well known. She hated not being in control.

Right now, her future was in the hands of another person. A human slave. She hated that thought. She'd spent well over an hour since returning to her ship looking through the sites on her terminal for any information humans.

Most of it had been garbage black market sites selling humans, the rest had been human based pornography sites and videos. Only a few rare pages actually had "reliable information on humans.

According to information gained from humans. They came from a planet called Earth. A planet with class 8 gravity, and an abundance of water. Apparently many species there were quite dangerous and deadly. Some of the accounts were of outlandish creatures that could kill with a single bite, of giants that could slice a person in half, and of diseases that wiped out whole populations. 

Apparently the humans had fled some catastrophic meteor that doomed their planet. Many populations banded together to make interstellar Arks. The Arks leapt across systems until they were captured by pirates. 

Vzzeras almost felt for them. To leave one disaster and end up in another. Though from most reports humans were dumb and strong, just smart enough to perform manual labor. 

It was too much to allow her life to be put in the hands of a creature only smart enough to work and fight. She'd never allowed anyone to control her fate, and she'd be damned if she started tomorrow. She'd give that human a piece of her mind and make sure he knew she was in charge.

Those thoughts now mollified somewhat. Vzzeras finally allowed herself to rest, tomorrow would be a very busy day.

* * *

It was a few hours past midday, and Vzzeras was as nervous as she'd ever been. The pickup had gone completely as planned, and now Echo sat beside her at the helm, though in a smaller seat meant for temporary use. 

Vzzeras considered having him sit in one of the crew seats, but the risk of him accidentally messing with the controls was too high. Though he seemed quite aware of his surroundings, Echo had given no sign of any intelligence besides a nod here or a head shake there.

She looked down at the control unit on her arm. It was an unfamiliar weight that she'd yet to get used to. Rezzep had gifted it to her the moment she had picked up Echo, explaining its function, and then demonstrating it. One touch on the panel, and Echo fell to his knees, every vein popping to the surface of his skin as the neurons that caused pained in his body were all forcefully stimulated.

A small part of her thought the process was cruel. Echo had done nothing wrong, yet he was being tortured anyway. A larger part of her however, experienced a thrill at seeing the large male fall to his knees before her. That was the part that she listened to.

It was still another hour before they reached the drop point, and Vzzeras felt the first stirrings of excitement in her blood. This was it. Soon she'd see whether or not this insane scheme would pay off. Even with her reservations, her blood sang and her body tingled with anticipation.

For his part, Echo appeared to be as calm as a bowl of water, utterly blank and boring. Vzzeras wondered how he could be so calm. In less than an hour he'd essentially be thrown into a suicide mission. Surely that must rattle him a bit?

"Echo, how are you feeling? Excited? Nervous?" She stated coldly. Emotion would make her appear concerned, weak.

Echo did not respond, merely staring ahead with that empty look on his face. 

"Surely you must feel something, you're about to attempt a suicide mission!" Vzzeras' couldn't help but leak a little emotion into her voice. That silence was unnerving.

Yet Echo remained stoic. She might as well have been talking to herself!

"You're lucky I need you in peak condition for the mission, or I'd crank your collar up a few notches for ignoring me!"

Still nothing, and Vzzeras felt her eye twitch with anger. She wasn't used to being openly ignored, and by a slave no less!

The time seemed to pass while she dealt with her anger. It seemed like mere minutes had gone by before the screen in front of her beeped with an alert on the scanners. This was it! She set the ship on a pursuit course and stood up. Echo wordlessly stood with her. Good. The slave seemed to have some sense after all.

Vzzeras made her way to the back of the ship, into the cargo bay. The ship lurched suddenly and she grabbed onto a pipe to keep her stance. It was almost time for the drop. She made her way to the back cargo door, and punched the door code. With a deep sound of hydraulic pressure the door swung open, and the roaring of the wind drowned everything else out.

"Echo! Get over here!" She shouted, and the giant made his way to her side. She reached up towards the roof of the hold, and grabbed a dangling cable. She chipped the cable to a special harness she'd had Echo put on before takeoff.

"When I give the signal Echo, you jump, and the cable will lower you onto the transport!" She shouted again. How the human heard her was beyond her knowledge, but he nodded nonetheless.

Soon at the edge of the door, the black shape of an armored transport appeared, growing closer as the ship pulled just ahead of it. Vzzeras watched as Echo picked up a precision explosive that Rezzep had given him. He held it ready in his hand, and Vzzeras would admit it made her nervous. Still...

"Now Echo! Go!" She shouted, and the hulking man ran from the bay, leaping without fear and turning in midair. She saw as the weight retention system jerked his frame as it slowed his decent. Even over the wind she heard the cable hiss and whirr as he fell down towards the transport. The smell of hot metal and oil filling her nostrils. 

Soon his shape became indistinguishable from the dark shape of the transport. The only sign that he'd made it was the cable suddenly stopping. Then it began to quickly reverse, and Vzzeras stood clear as the hook whipped back into place. Now it was Echo's turn. 

The booms of cannon fire shook her ship, and she watched flashes of beams fly past her ship. She slammed the cargo hatch closed and dashed to the helm, staggering as some of the beams made contact.

Finally reaching the cockpit, she grabbed the manual controls, and began executing evasive maneuvers. Dips, twists, dives, sharp turns, anything to keep the lasers away from her already banged up ship.

Vzzeras checked her mission timer. Fifteen minutes, that was the limit. If Echo couldn't disable the ship before that, she was leaving him behind. That was the agreed upon time limit she and Rezzep had settled on. 

At the moment, fifteen minutes was looking like a lost hope. Cannons blasted the air around her, and her shields were taking a heavy beating. Vzzeras was not a terrible flyer, but maintaining this distance with a barrage of cannon fire was beyond all but the best pilots.

At the ten minute mark, Vzzeras was considering leaving regardless. Her chest was heaving with exertion as she fought the controls. Her engines were straining under the consistent evasive maneuvers. Add to that the damage from the cannons and she was fearing a lucky hit would send her into the sands.

Then, all at once, the cannon fire died, and a beep on her scanner showed the transport was slowing. 

He'd done it. Somehow that lumbering oaf had disabled the transport. Vzzeras flipped the controls and steadied her flight path, stabilizing the ship, and circling around to land behind the smoking transport.

As she landed, she could see the shape of Echo making his way out through an opening cargo door. That he still had all of his limbs was promising, and she stood to make her way to the crew hatch.

Once outside, the smell of burning engines engulfed her. She lifted a scarf above her nostrils to attempt to filter out the noxious fumes. As she did so, she saw Echo approach.

"It took you long enough. Do you know how difficult its was to evade their.... " Vzzeras trailed off as she took in Echo's appearance. The human was covered in various colors of gore. Black, purple, blue, and red hues of blood coated his arms and splashed across his face. Pieces of viscera stuck to his body, and she had to fight the urge to regurgitate. 

"W-what did you do?" Vzzeras asked through the unsettling feeling him her stomach. This was beyond the normal amount of carnage ome would see from taking a ship.

Wordlessly Echo did something she had never seen him do. He bared his teeth in a purely predatory smile. There was something in that grin, something that made her shiver.

Instinctively Vzzeras activated the collar, and the smile was replaced by a grimace as Echo fell to one knee. He appeared to be fighting the effects, so she gave him another surge, raising the level to properly subdue him. That did the trick, and Echo fell to his hands and knees, heaving deep breaths as he recovered from the pain. When he managed to stand again, he was the same empty Echo that she had picked up this morning.

Wordlessly, Vzzeras made her way onto the transport, and immediately froze in place. Bodies littered the bay, ripped apart, pulverized, limbs twisted in grotesque positions, and entrails torn from their cavities. 

This was more than ordered killing. This was a massacre.

Vzzeras made her way back down the ramp on unsteady legs. Once she reached the sands, she looked up to see Echo standing there with empty eyes and a gore splattered frame.

Then she promptly regurgitated there in the desert.


	4. Grog on your Grave

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait! I've been caught up with some things at work and home. I hope you enjoy!

The ride back to port had been silent as a tomb. Vzzeras had ordered Echo to use the ship's exterior hose to clean himself of the excess gore. Then she had ordered him to use the communal cleansing room to finish the job.

It was eerie. When she'd first seen him after the assault on the transport, he seemed feral, bloodthirsty, and murderous. Now though, he followed her orders to the letter. Once again he was the quiet, giant human who seemed so placid it could be mistaken for stupidity. She knew better though.

Whatever fit, or bloodrage the human had gone into, it had enabled him to not only take on an entire heavily armed transport crew, but to slaughter them all in a grisly display of sadism. Vzzeras shuddered at the memory, and the shame that cane from regurgitating in front of Echo.

Rezzep was going to have to be the forcus for such unpleasant emotions.

* * *

"So what do you think? Pretty effective right?" The small slug sounded smug enough to drown an island in his ego.

Shortly before arriving, Vzzeras had called Rezzep to inform him that they had succeeded and would be returning shortly. The slug congratulated her before giving instructions on where to meet to unload the cargo. After the trade was complete, Vzzeras beelined towards the slimy bastards shop.

Hence the situation now, as she watched the trader stroke his ego with all the fervor of an Aurochnian going through their rut. 

"Yes yes, your tool did an amazing job, did I mention the part where he went savage and I had to restrain him several times?" Vzzeras interrupted coldly.

"Ah yes, well it was unavoidable. Spending so much time in the arena probably addled his mind, but look, hes tame again so no harm done!" Rezzep replied as carefree as ever.

"Fine. Hes tame. I did the job, now can I get paid?" It took everything she had for her tail time remain motionless.

The slug sighed dramatically before tossing a pouch full of money on the table. Vzzeras snatched it up and counted her share. Much to the obvious annoyance of Rezzep.

"20,000? You said a few months without worry! This is barely enough for three months if I spread it out!" She spat. She should've known the slug would have tried to cheat her.

"It's more than enough if you pace yourself you indulgent lizard!" The slimy bastard countered. "You'll be on easy street if you keep your expenses to the basic necessities!"

"Bullshit! I didn't become a pirate to scrape by like this, and I certainly didn't nearly get blasted out of the sky to get cheated by you!" Vzzeras reached forward and grabbed the slug tightly around his middle. The texture almost made her ill, but she was getting her money!

A large, strong hand wrapped itself tightly around her throat. Not enough to choke, but the message was clear. Vzzeras let the disgusting merchant go, watching with dimmed satisfaction as he fell onto his platform with a plop.

"Yes, don't forget you egg selling whore, Echo obeys me!" The slug straighten onto his platform, the smug expression returning. "Now, I could have Echo snap your neck, but as it is, I can have another opportunity ready in a few months."

Vzzeras eyed the wretched cur. She'd been cheated, and badly, but a pirate never turned away from money.

"What's the job?" She spoke, and Echo's hand unlatched itself. 

"I'm sure by now you know that Echo is a wonderful asset." Rezzep started, and Vzzeras mentally prepared herself for a pompous monologue. "If one Echo can get me a shipment of this magnitude, what can an army of Echos do?"

Vzzeras snorted. "So what? You're going to go out and buy some more "arena addled" humans?" She turned her head towards Echo, who seemed all the world to be a statue.

"No no, that would be too expensive, and theres no guarantee that they'll be usable. No, I plan on breeding them!" The slug zoomed to his desk, pressing a switch on a holo-planner. An image of a female human appeared, this one looked puny compared to Echo, and quite young as well. 

"I've made a rare find!" The slug exclaimed. "A female human who has just begun her birthing cycles. I'll breed her with Echo immediately. A few chemicals to induce more children, and a strict education to make them more pliable. Any rejects I can just sell for extra money! It's genius!"

Vzzeras scrunched her nose in disgust. Blackmail, robbery, murder, those things she could live with. But slave trading? That was a deplorable business. She glanced at Echo for a moment, and was surprised to see a tense look upon his face. Whatever was going on in the big humans brain, it didn't look pretty.

"No deal Rezzep, I'm many things, but I don't peddle flesh." Vzzeras turned for the door.

"Ah such a shame, you're a liability then. Echo, kill her!" Vzzeras turned back quickly, ready to fend off any attack, but no attack came.

Instead, Echo was slowly stalking towards Rezzep, his gait showing great stiffness.

"The lizard you fool, kill that whore!" Tezzep shouted, pressing a button on his platform, but it appeared to have no effect. Echo kept moving, reaching out, and picking the slug up. Vzzeras watched in grim curiosity as the human slowly squeezed, and Rezzep began squishing like a clay model. Made of slime.

"Echo.... I.... order.... you......." Rezzep gasped, but he never finished his sentence. Echo squeezed his hand into a fist, and Rezzep popped, slimy black ichor oozing over his hand.

"What did you just do?" Vzzeras asked. "That was my dealer! My source of money! Now I'll be implicated, and nobody in the underground will buy from me!"

Echo simply stared at his hand, dumbly watching the black blood drip onto the floor.

Vzzeras sighed. This was the worst situation possible, and it looked like she'd have to find a new planet to hide out on. That meant new connections, new base, and new source of plunder. The whole scenario seemed unsalvageable.

Unless....

Working quickly, she grabbed the receipt for her payment from the desk, and scrawled a quick message on it.

She then turned to Echo, who still appeared to be mindlessly staring at his hand. "Echo." Sge started, and the man looked at her. "You can stay here, keep staring at your hand, and most likely be executed. Or, you can come with me, serve me, and I'll swear never to deal with anything regarding human slaves."

The lumbering human stared for a few seconds before nodding curtly.

"Good, now let's go, we have money to make.

* * *

Minutes later, a worker walked into Rezzep's office, only to find it completely trashed and covered in gore. 

After the local crime lords had been called, they examined the room, searching for motive, possible rival gang work, and money. 

All they found was broken furniture, a black handprint, and a note.

_This is what happens to those who try to cheat me. -Vzzeras._

Thus did word spread throughout the underworld, from witness reports, to old stories, to security footage. A slender looking reptilian female, and a large figure with a hand stained in black blood.

Vzzeras The Fair, and her Black Hand.


	5. Notice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys!

I apologize for the long wait on my stories, unfortunately my phone broke and had to be replaced. I kept all of my notes and plot points, as well as rough drafts on it, so I'm sad to say that the story as I know it may take a drastic change due to me coming up with dialogue and plot out of the blue again. Sorry if it jars you a bit, but I hope you'll continue to enjoy the read!


	6. Welcome Aboard

"Captain, I have the target on scanner. No doubt about it, it's that rich bastards yacht!"

Vzzeras nodded wordlessly from her spot at the captain's chair. The small furry devil smiled viciously, and turned back to his station. In no time at all she could hear him tapping away at the console, no doubt attempting to send a virus to the unsuspecting ship via distress transmission.

"Praliss I want you to tell me the moment you're in. Echo, come with me." Vzzeras commanded. Without further preamble, she stood and made her way towards the hangar bay. There was no doubt in her mind that they'd obey. They knew what happened if they didn't.

Along the way to the catapult, Vzzeras felt the adrenaline pump through her body. It had been over a year since she'd gained Echo, and together they had taken on more and more jobs. No matter how many they did though, she always felt this rush. She absolutely loved it.

"Captain, if I may ask, please do try and reign Echo in. He's not invincible and I'd prefer not to spend my time after the job patching him up.... again." Came the warbling voice of Maikso from the ships intercoms. 

Vzzeras sneered and punched on her wrist comm. "Last I checked you're a damned doctor, you're being paid to stitch us up. Are you saying you're having trouble with your job?"

".... no captain" came the subdued response. Vzzeras smiled. The whole crew knew who was in charge. They all knew the consequences of giving too much lip. Nobody wanted to be on the bad side of her "Black Hand."

The final door opened into the firing bay, where her baby rested. A microjet powered missile designed to burn through a targets hull and deliver a deadly agent to incapacitate a ship.

The agent being Echo.

Wordlessly Vzzeras walked over to the launch control panel, and initiated the loading procedure. The missile opened, revealing an inverted padded space large enough for Echo to fit inside. The large mute climbed inside and situated himself, securing himself with harnesses.

"Echo, I don't give a damn what Maikso says, I want that ship as fast as possible." She growled as she typed away at the console, closing the missile capsule before he could respond. Another series of commands had the missile lowered into the missile tube. With a clang and a hiss the bay sealed shut.

Vzzeras straightened up and made her way back towards the command room. Along the way there was a shudder through the ship, likely from light defending fire. She reached towards the comm on her wrist, patching herself into the helm.

"Praliss why the hell is my ship taking fire? I was under the impression I hired you to prevent that!" She shouted while increasing her pace.

"Sorry captain, looks like they heard about us. They refused to answer the call, I had to direct send the virus through their firewall." The sounds of furious typing followed, along with an excited "aha!"

"Don't break your arm patting yourself on the back! If there's any structural damage, it's coming out of your share!" 

"....... yes Captain." 

That was the most satisfying feeling. Being in complete control. Knowing that at her beck and call was a competent crew that obeyed her every word. A year ago she was a meek thief who sold eggs on the side to get by, now she was a captain feared by crew and prey alike. That's exactly the way she liked it.

Upon arriving at the command room, she was treated to the sight of target yacht on monitor losing complete control. Engines firing and burning out, thrusters shifting it every which way, and guns completely out of commission. A bright flash emitted from the top of the yacht, followed by absolute stillness.

"Target disabled captain, they're dead in the water!" Praliss practically shouted

"Fire the missile!" 

A sharp jolt ran through the ship as the missile launched, tracing a fiery arc towards the ship. Once it made contact, traces of orange and red confirmed it was drilling into the ship. Vzzeras could practically see the scenario play out. The base would seal into the hull, then eject Echo, who would then secure the ship, armed with armaments that had been prepped into the missile.

Now there was nothing left to do but wait. This was the dull part, as all they had to confirm Echo was doing his job was a heart monitor and a tracker. Sighing with content boredom, she reached down and opened a built in cooler. Pulling out a bottle of cool brew, she popped it open and took a long lazy drink.

Life was good.

* * *

"Gods, I'll never get used to this." Praliss mumbled as the crew entered the now subdued yacht. 

Walking through the halls revealed ghastly scenes of gore. Various shades of blood splashed over every surface, with some spots hitting the ceiling. Bodies littered the halls, not a single one was a clean kill. Some were lucky enough to have had mortal wounds, others had been brutally mutilated and left to die. Through it all not a single soul had been spared.

Further on there was some evidence of resistance. Scorch marks on corners showed some evidence of a drawn out firefight. In the end though, the bodies showed who the victor was. 

Finally they reached the helm of the yacht, where three figures were settled. One was Dreyken like herself, his face badly bruised and bloody, one of his horns broken, and lodged into his shoulder. The other was a unique species, almost skeletal in stature, with deep orange skin and bulbous eyes.

Between the two was Echo, who had one of his hands around the Dreykens remaining horn, and the other around the skeleton's neck. He was bleeding from several small wounds, and his stance was off, suggesting a wounded leg. Yet he still emanates a deadly aura of promised violence.

"Good boy Echo." Vzzeras started. It had been hard at first to reign Echo in, to remind him to keep the captain alive along with any VIPs. The first few attempts had resulted in absolute carnage and bloodbaths. Now, it appeared he had learned to obey her orders over his bloodlust.

"Now then." She leaned down, and looked the Dreyken in the eyes. "Are you going to tell me the codes to the safe and security protocols? Or do you need some convincing?"

The Dreyken had a look of utter contempt on his face. Without hesitation he let out a low resounding hiss.

"Pity, I was hoping we could be friends. Echo. Show him what happens to people who arent my friends."

Without hesitation Echo gripped the prisoner's forearm, and quickly snapped it. The male let out a harsh shriek, which doubled as Echo then twisted the broken appendage. The prisoner's upper arm followed, with more snapping and twisting. The shrieking are growing more desperate as the treatment went on.

Vzzeras smiled as the torture continued. She'd have her money all the same, but the scenic route had more excitement. Having Praliss hack or cut into a safe was too easy, there was no fun in it. She wanted the world to see that she was someone to be feared. 

All too soon it became apparent the Dreyken either knew nothing or was incredibly resistant to torture. She was betting that it was the first. So she gave Echo the signal, which resulted in a heavy cracking sound as he snapped the fool's neck.

As he lay there dying, Vzzeras looked at the skeletal survivor.

"Well now.... are we going to be friends?"


	7. No Rest For The Wicked

Vzzeras had never been more ecstatic than the moment she walked into her quarters. After a slightly shorter torture period, her new friend had quickly spilled his guts about the loot. After she had let Echo spill the man's guts in the more literal sense, the crew hauled off with the loot, and left the wreck to drift.

Now here she stood, a carved out safe now resting in the corner of her quarters, and a thrill of empowerment flowing through her. Gone were the days of bare minimum luxury, now she had the richest furnishings, and her gear was top of the line. She was nothing short of the greatest pirate in the sector, and every time she walked into her quarters she was free to let loose and bask in her own glory!

Without further ado Vzzeras promptly stripped off the days clothing and stepped inside her new steam cleansing room. The heavenly sensation relaxed her every muscle and allowed her to think on the next move. Laziness would only have her backsliding into her previous pathetic existence.

"Perhaps we'll rob a Dreyken elite. That should be fun." She hummed. Wouldn't that be the best slap in the face to her snobbish race?

The comm interface beeped and promptly pulled her from the realm of fantasy. Irritably she pressed the receiver.

"What is it? You better have a good reason to interrupt me!" She snarled

"Captain, I'm reporting that Echo is fully patched up, but I'm going to be short on supplies if this keeps up. We need to find a port and resupply." Maikso reported from the speaker.

"Dammit we just docked a month ago! Can't it wait until one more job?"

"If we wait, I cannot guarantee that I can fix up Echo the next time he breaks."

Damned human! As it was patching Echo up after each mission was becoming one of her higher expenses. That damned Krikk doctor insisted on ensuring the best care for him. 

"Fine then, we'll dock at the next viable port, get supplies, and then you and I will have a long conversation about bare minimums." Vzzeras practically purred with raw venom. 

"...... Yes captain"

Drying off, Vzzeras stepped out of the chamber with a new irritable attitude. Time at port meant no jobs, no jobs meant less money, less money meant losses. That was not acceptable.

Throwing on a luxurious silk robe, she resigned herself to simply counting the loot they'd stolen. Perhaps watching as her fortune grew would mollify the impending headache she could feel growing.

* * *

Furia was not the first place she'd have chosen to dock, but it was a viable port. It had all supplies they'd need, and all in one city. That would minimize the time needed to dock, but it would still probably take a few days to fully stock the ship.

A fact her crew probably enjoyed to its fullest. Laziest scum of the galaxy.

The crew had gathered in the cargo bay just as the ramp began to lower, letting in the rancid smog ridden air of the shipyard inside.

"Remember to grab only the necessities, I don't want to come back to find any ridiculous purchases or whores aboard my ship!" Vzzeras declared. 

A soft mumbling from Praliss had her drawing her pistol. "Care to repeat yourself mister Praliss? Loud enough for the rest of us to hear?"

The small furry creature visibly flinched and shook his head. Vzzeras smiled cruelly, holstered her pistol and began making her way down the ramp, followed by Echo. The crew knew the procedure. They would go fetch supplies, while she and Echo would look for leads.

Of course the best place to get information was at bars, the higher quality the better. A fact that she took no small amount of joy in. After all, a captain was the heart of the crew. You didn't let the heart rot away in some dingy pub.

Along the way various nobodies passed by, all of them very careful to keep their distance. Perhaps they did not know her personally, but her outfit, her presence, and Echo let others know she was not to be trifled with. Crossing her would be suicide.

So when a stray hand attempted to lift her purse, she almost pitied the fool. A sharp cry of pain told her Echo had not missed the act either. She turned to see that the thief was in fact a young Muriak. The tattoo like striping around their face revealing them to be female. Echo had lifted her bodily from the ground by her arms, his vice like hands looking like giant boulders compared to the teen.

"Let me go! Help! Slavers!" The teen cried, struggling futilely against Echo's grip. "Slavers! Help me! My pa is rich!"

Vzzeras chuckled at the little urchins attempts to call for help. A quick glance around confirmed what the little shite was quickly learning. Nobody in their right minds was going to step in to help.

"Look what I've found. A thieving little rat who doesn't have a lick of sense." Vzzeras eyed the Muriak for a split second before continuing. "You know, I was about your age when I started my life of crime. In fact you almost remind me of myself."

The young teens eyes widened slightly in relief, tears forming as Echo lowered her to the ground. Almost immediately the girl began to cry. It was almost sickening. 

With a sharp turn, Vzzeras whipped her tail across the teen's face, sending her flying into the ground. She didn't even need to look to see that the little thief was unconscious. Vermin like that deserved to be punished for their failure. 

* * *

Vzzeras tipped back her water while eyeing the bar's clientele. All of the best gossip should be passing through those inebriated lips, but her drones hadn't picked up anything other than inane dribble. Across the table Echo sat silently, staring at his own glass of water.

"What's wrong Echo? I highly doubt it's poisoned." She laughed harshly. 

"Excuse me?" A hand touched Vzzeras shoulder. With a flash she drew her pistol and spun around, knocking over her chair as Echo did the same. 

Standing there looking scared out of her wits was a tan furred Fererll. She was dressed in fine clothes, with accessories that drew the eyes to her figure. Hands raised meekly, the cat creature appeared on the verge of fainting. Vzzeras laughed and lowered her pistol, bending down to pick up her chair.

"Sorry lass, I didn't hear you creeping up behind me. No need for anything here. We've got our drinks already." It was odd that even her drones hadn't picked her up. Maybe they were malfunctioning.

"Umm, no actually I was hoping to speak with you." The Fererll woman said in her meek voice.

"Sorry girl, I've no business with you. Go peddle yourself elsewhere."

"I'm no whore! I'm looking for the pirate Vzzeras! Aren't you-"

Vzzeras grabbed the womans arm and roughly dragged her into a chair. She then re-drew her pistol and pointed it at her under the table. 

"You have a lot of guts or very little brains to approach me without permission knowing who I am." Vzzeras growled, giving the brat an evil glare. "Which is it?"

The Fererll swallowed thickly before speaking. "I-I'm looking to hire you! I need to get off planet. I know a sanctuary a few days away. Once we-"

"I don't know who misinformed you, but I'm not a cruise ship or a shuttle ship. I'm a pirate. I rob people and shoot more people. I don't take daddy's girls off planet." 

"Listen! I have a lot of money! It's a quick trip, and then you collect the money and go! I can even pay half up front!" The girl pleaded, voice rising in desperation. 

"I sincerely doubt you can cover the cost to launch a ship across the stars. Do you even know how much that costs?" 

The girl reached down her dress and pulled a small object from within. In a heartbeat Echo's hand encased hers, and Vzzeras could see his muscles tense and lock in place. The girl immediately cried out, trying to slip out of the steel grip. 

"It's money! I swear it's money! Now let me go- ouch! You're hurting me!" 

"Echo, let her go, look at her. I doubt she could even hold a gun." 

Echo released his grip and pulled his hand back. The Fererll rubbed her hand gingerly, before laying a credit pad on the table. Vzzeras snatched it up and took one quick glance before looking back.

"This is half? What are you doing with this much money? Why do you need off planet so badly?"

The woman reached and pulled out a second tablet. "This is for being discreet and asking no questions."

Vzzeras snatched up the second tablet. Eyeing the girl with suspicion. "When do you need to leave miss-?"

"My name is Leelyne, and I need to leave by tomorrow." It seemed she had become more confident now that money was on the table.

"We just landed, we'd need a few days to let the crew rest and get all of the supplies."

Leelynes ears dropped, and her eyes became downcast. "Oh well, I'd heard that you'd be my best option for getting there as soon as possible, but it appears not. Sorry for wasting your time, I'll look elsewhere-" 

Before she could finish, Vzzeras snatched the two tablets and pocketed them.

"Welcome aboard Miss Leelyne. We'll leave first thing tomorrow." Vzzeras stood and handed the girl a dock pass and bay number before making her way towards the door. She didn't have to look back to see Echo following suit.

Once outside she activated her comms and pressed the master announcement switch. 

"Alright crew, pack up what you have and get back to the ship. We have a job!"


	8. Over the Load Line

Vzzeras had known there might be some complaints to their very abrupt departure date, but what she hadn't been prepared for was the sheer piss-pants whining her crew was capable of.

"Captain we barely have to supplies for this kind of trip!"

"Our medical supplies are low! What if there's an emergency?"

"We were promised time to relax!"

"This is folly! All for extra money?"

"ENOUGH!" Vzzeras shouted, silencing their protests. The gall of these simpering whelps. "We're being paid very handsomely to deliver some brat to a backwater planet, no questions asked. No fighting, no long trips for loot. In and out, then you'll have plenty of time and money to relax."

"That's what you said last time Captain!" Praliss complained, "but we ended up in deep space for an extra week because you found yet another job. When does it end?"

"Shut it Praliss, we do this job, and you can get your break and whores. Or.." Vzzeras snapped her fingers, and Echo stepped forward in a menacing display. "You can cancel your contract, by which I mean go back to being an unprotected pissant who tried to jack my ship."

Praliss shrunk under the gaze of the hulking Human, and the threat of death, but his eyes still burned with indignation. That didn't matter, Vzzeras only needed physical loyalty. The rest could hang.

"Understood Captain, I'll see that the ship gets fueled immediately." The Olandet murmured, nearly stomping away towards the dockyard.

"Captain, I know it's a lot of money, but should something happen, I'm not certain I can treat any life threatening injuries!" Maikso started, the tendrils on their faces wriggling anxiously.

Vzzeras turned to the Krikk, looking directly into their optic cells. The silence hung there momentarily, before the Krikk looked away, a sign of submission among their race.

"I'll allow the purchase of basic medical supplies, but you have one day. Any longer and I leave you here. A disgraced Krikk doctor with a debt that could drown a bimarian. Dont. Be. Late."

The Krikk wriggled their tendrils again before setting off to acquire supplies.

Vzzeras chuckled warmly to herself, savory the thrilling power she held over the crew. This was what it meant to be a captain! Making things your way or else.

"Come Echo, I think after all of this I deserve some entertainment." The vicious smile she couldn't contain only grew at the thought of visiting the gambling dens.

* * *

When Vzzeras awoke the next day her head was aching and her body felt sluggish. One of her two stomachs was roiling and felt as though it was about to eject its contents. Slowly and agonizingly she rolled from her position in the bed and reached for the silver globe on her bedside table, a single tap had the sphere retracting into a hemispheric stand, exposing a micro-dermic full of her salvation.

One injection and a few minutes of nausea later and she felt the nano-cleansers breaking down the toxins she'd ingested the night prior. A soft hum of relief and satisfaction escaped her lips and she basked in the warm feeling of perfect health.

A chime from her wrist bracer had her groaning in irritation. How was it possible for her crew to be able to constantly know exactly when to ruin her mood. Suppressing a growl, she opened the channel.

"Captain, we have the basic supplies, and there's a young woman here who claims she's our passenger." Praliss reported. Vzzeras held back a grumble and confirmed the report. 

Rising from her messy bed, she began her morning ritual. Cleansing, examining, and then dressing. On top of her usual gear she wore a purple half cloak adorned with silver threading. The small flair did wonders for her image and made sure all who looked at her were aware of her authority.

The mood was once again ruined by a knocking on her door. She didn't have to open it to know who was outside. Only the dumb little trollop she'd picked up would be too stupid to use the chime.

Sighing in what she was sure would be permanent irritation. Vzzeras strode towards the door, opening it to reveal that it was indeed the furry irritant.

"Ahoy captain!" Vzzeras winced at both the too sweet tone and the cliche greeting. "I've brought all of my things aboard but I'm afraid I can't seem to find my room."

Vzzeras smiled wickedly. The young Fererll seemed to take it as a kind smile, for her cheer didn't disappear. With a simple nod she led the young creature towards the main cargo hold. Along the way she typed a few terse commands to the rest of the crew.

They finally reached the cargo hold and with a hiss the doors slid open to reveal the room. The air was stale and barely climate controlled, the smell of old metal, dirty floors, and oil filled the air. There seemed to be no furniture aside from an old musty cot tucked away against one of the walls.

With a flourish Vzzeras smiled wickedly again. "I present your room milady. You seemed like a girl used to the finer things, so I gave you the biggest room we had!" A cackle followed the proclamation.

All of the cheer drained from the girl's face at the sight of her dismal accommodations. A warm feeling of joy and satisfaction filled Vzzeras as she watched the realization on the girl's face.

"T-this isn't acceptable! How am I supposed to stay here? The deal is off!" The girl huffed and turned to leave but Vzzeras blocked her path and pushed her back into the room.

"Let's get some things straight brat!" She growled. "First, this is my ship and what I say goes. Second, you were warned that I am a pirate, not a cruise ship. If you were hoping for three course meals and fluffy beds, then I suggest you dash those hopes right now!"

A shuddering beneath their feet, and a wave of inertia punctuated her statement.

She smiled once more in sadistic glee. "Third, the deal is not off, unless you feel like jumping ship into the murk of space, then I suggest you cozy up to this room fast."

Vzzeras then turned and shut the door behind her, giggling when she heard a loud thunk smack behind her. Oh the day had started out on a sour note, but now it had become just so pleasant. 

It was the little things she had learned to enjoy that made her life tolerable. Moments like this were one of them. 


End file.
